The opening of Child Development and Rehabilitation Centre - Mission East

Mission Eastis a Danish international relief and development organisation, working in Eastern Europe and Asia. Our aim is to deliver relief aid, to create and support long-term development projects and to empower local aid organisations to carry on the work independently. Making no racial, religious or political distinction between those in need, we aim to assist the most vulnerable.

The opening of Child Development and Rehabilitation Centre

Managing Director Kim Hartzner held the following speech at the opening of the Child Development and Rehabilitation Centre:

"Honored guests, Minister Vartanyan, Deputy Ministers, Marzpetaran Ghaharmanyan, dear Ara, Members of Parliament and Government departments, partners, colleagues, parents and friends,
You may ask yourselves why we in Mission East have invited you to come all the way to Armavir to see a new building, a Child Development and Rehabilitation Centre.
Let me tell you why we have invited you to come:
Because in Armavir, and particularly in the western parts of this region, there are hundreds of children who because of their disability, and often combined poverty and lack of attention by doctors, and sometimes even parents, simply have not had a chance in this life. Until this center was built.
I have visited children in what used to be stables for the animals. I have seen whole families with four children surviving on the disability pension of one child – 5900 drams for a family of four children. I have seen children suffering diseases that in other countries could have easily been prevented, heart disease, metabolic diseases and others, and I have seen children who for one reason or other have been given a diagnosis which was as far from the reality as it could be. A child with muscular dystrophy who was told he was suffering from a lack of vitamins – and thus never got a chance to use the little muscle power he had left. Or a child who had spent eight months with his arm in a cast – a socalled treatment that left him severely disabled and almost unable to walk. Now these children, and hundreds more, have a chance to get the treatment and long-term follow-up care they need – thanks to the Mission East project, this center, and thanks to our partners in Arabkir, Bridge of Hope and Nur. Recently, Mission East finished a detailed survey of hundreds of children involved in this project, and among the many astonishing results were the facts that in the region west of Armavir less than half of all disabled children had received any treatment for their condition, and over a third of the children who had been to a doctor received no follow-up treatment whatsoever.
In January of last year, with funding from the Danish Government, Mission East started the Healthy Start project, aiming to change the attitudes in society toward the disabled and the healthcare practices necessary to insure disabled children are actually included in society and given a chance for a better future.
Mission East works with ARabkir as our medical partner, BOH as our partner in advocacy and awareness, and Nur is working in 11 communities of ARmavir, informing the parents about the new possibilities for care, and helping them to get over the shame which is one of the most crippling factors affecting the lives of the 850 children we have included in this project so far. And finally, our partner COAF is renovating four of the seven Children’s Clubs involved in the project, which will serve as an outlet for many children who have never before had a chance to play.
But this is not the end. With the support of the Armenian Government and with continued support of the Danish Government and our international partners, notably UNICEF, we shall continue to support the replication of this model approach throughout Armenia, moving on to Gegharkunik and Tavush marz hopefully by the beginning of 2008.
In this great venture – saving the lives and providing a future for thousands of Armenian children – Mission East is counting on the continued support of all of you, the Armenian Government, the Marzpetaran authorities, our partners, colleagues, donors and friends,
Thank you"